A World Without Princes

“‘I wish I could see her again,’ Sophie wept. ‘I’d do anything. Anything.’”

Though much of the text and many of its characters focus on Agatha’s wish, blaming her ambivalence for the war in the magical world, Sophie makes a wish too, one that precedes Agatha’s. The presence of one of Dean Sader’s blue butterflies in the cemetery helps to establish the link between Sophie and the dean, how the dean knew to treat Sophie like a cherished daughter and encourage her to chase the “ever after” for which she longs. Sophie’s wish for her mother emphasizes how much she yearns to feel innocent and safe, protected and cared for. However, this longing for a perfect past and a lost parental figure ultimately blinds Sophie to the dangers of unchecked desire. Her wish is granted—but in a twisted way—aligning with The Fiction of Traditional Happy Endings, as what she thought would bring her happiness leads to chaos instead.

“You and me, Aggie. That’s all I need to be Good […] As long as we keep the witch inside me dead. Everything else I can bear if I try.”

Sophie believes that one is either all Good or all Evil. She doesn’t realize that she must continue to make choices that are Good, that it isn’t enough to simply want to be Good or to make her Goodness Agatha’s responsibility. It is difficult to consistently make Good, unselfish, considerate choices, and Sophie doesn’t tend to remain interested in tasks that require her to sustain effort for a long time. This passage also underscores The Confluence of Heroism and Villainy, as Sophie assumes that Good and Evil are static states rather than fluid choices. Her belief that Agatha alone can “keep the witch inside [her] dead” shows her reluctance to take personal responsibility for her actions, instead making her identity contingent on external validation.

“No matter how Good she tried to be, the witch inside her still wanted her father to suffer.”

Sophie combines both Good and Evil impulses, just as all real people do. These urges and impulses are human, and they draw attention to The Confluence of Heroism and Villainy. It takes work to be Good or to be Evil, a sustained commitment to making choices that align with one’s priorities. This is a lesson Sophie has not yet learned. Her internal conflict also reflects the idea that morality is subjective. In her mind, punishing her father may feel just, but this justification for cruelty shows how easily vengeance can masquerade as righteousness.

“The church was empty. Long, deep scratches ripped down the aisle. Sophie had dragged her glass slippers all the way.”

When Agatha goes to the church where Sophie was kept, she realizes that Sophie resisted her kidnappers. Her “glass slippers” allude to the fairy tale of Cinderella, a lovely, unselfish, humble girl whose fairy godmother adorns her in a sparkling ball gown and glass slippers for one night at the palace. Rather than attempt to embody the qualities that make Cinderella so admirable, however, Sophie prefers merely to dress as Cinderella on her magical night, when she looks like a princess. This allusion helps to establish Sophie’s priorities. This allusion reinforces The Fiction of Traditional Happy Endings—Sophie clings to the external markers of a fairy-tale heroine, believing that appearance and status alone will define her Goodness. But true transformation, like Cinderella’s, requires inner change, something Sophie continually resists.

“Then she was gone into the labyrinth, like a white rose into a grave.”

This simile compares Agatha to a white rose; white is often a symbol of purity and innocence, and roses frequently symbolize love. The darkened forest into which she pursues the Elders is compared to a grave, implying that she is embarking on a path that will lead to her own or others’ destruction. This simile foreshadows the darkness to come, especially after the School Master is revived, and also hints at Agatha’s Goodness. However, as the novel progresses, Agatha herself must grapple with the ways her choices—particularly her desire for both Sophie and Tedros—contribute to instability in their world. Even a “white rose” can carry thorns, reinforcing the theme of The Confluence of Heroism and Villainy.

“‘We can’t go home, can we?’ Sophie breathed.”

Sophie and Agatha both realize that they can never go home and enjoy the same feeling of safety and certainty they used to feel. They could return to Gavaldon at some point, but it won’t feel the same as it did before they made choices that changed them and their stories forever. Thus, “home” symbolizes security and innocence, and neither girl can return to that state of being after all they’ve been through. This also reflects The Fiction of Traditional Happy Endings—home is not simply a place, but a state of being that no longer exists for them. The idea that happiness is something fixed and attainable is revealed to be a comforting illusion.

“Agatha went white as snow.”

This simile compares Agatha’s coloring to the pure whiteness of snow, likening her to the traditional fairy-tale princess, Snow White, who is innocent and good. Through the symbolism of the color white, this comparison emphasizes Agatha’s purity of intention, especially when juxtaposed with Sophie’s pink. Agatha always tries to do the right thing, but Sophie’s decisions are often colored by her passion, leading her to make choices that are more selfish or rash. However, Agatha’s “whiteness” also reflects the rigid expectations placed upon her as a supposed princess. The novel frequently challenges the idea that Goodness is an innate quality, reinforcing The Confluence of Heroism and Villainy. Despite her association with purity, Agatha’s choices are not always straightforwardly Good, and she struggles with competing desires, particularly in relation to Sophie and Tedros.

“Fairy tales have trained us to believe a beautiful bond like yours cannot last. Why? Because a boy must come between you. A boy so threatened by your story that he’s willing to kill to destroy it.”

Dean Sader may be villainous and responsible for exploiting the girls in order to revive the Evil School Master, but she also correctly describes the way their society always privileges boys and their wishes over girls’ ambitions. Most traditional fairy tales do, in fact, prioritize the romantic love between a prince and his princess rather than the love shared by friends. Though Sader’s intentions are malicious, she can convince many girls that they don’t need a prince because, in fact, they don’t. This ties into The Fluidity of Gender, as the novel repeatedly challenges the idea that romantic love—particularly heteronormative love—is the only valid form of fulfillment. The strong bond between Sophie and Agatha defies this tradition, even as forces around them work to reinforce rigid gender roles.

“There is no beauty or ugliness at the School for Girls! […] We wear pants, we don’t do our nails…we even eat cheese!”

Reena, an Ever, is thrilled to no longer have to live up to ridiculous beauty standards set by men. Her happiness in being able to dress how she wants, groom herself to her own liking, and eat high-caloric foods that could cause weight gain feels like an incredible freedom after years of pressure to conform to standards that prioritize appearance over substance or character. This moment illustrates The Fluidity of Gender, as the school’s new social order challenges long-standing expectations for women. However, it also raises the question of whether rejecting beauty standards is truly liberating or merely another form of imposed ideology—demonstrating that empowerment is not about rejecting femininity but about having the choice.

“You can’t have a school without boys! Even we know that, and we’d rather kill ourselves than touch one! […] Without boys, LIFE HAS NO POINT!”

Hester is angry because she wants the school to return to the way it was before Agatha chose Sophie. Ironically, Hester dislikes boys, and this would mean living with boys again. But now, she feels that her girlhood has become the entire focus of her education, and she wants to be able to focus on other things. Hester’s comment highlights the way gender has become a controlling force in the new school structure—rather than freedom, it has led to a new set of rigid expectations. This reinforces The Fluidity of Gender, as the girls at school are being taught that their identity must be defined in opposition to boys rather than being shaped by their own choices.

“Sophie glanced back at the Dean against the wall mural, smiling at her like a mother to a child.”

At first, this simile, comparing the look Sader gives Sophie to the loving smile a mother might have for her child, seems quite lovely. However, this is a clue that Sader knows what Sophie wished for in the cemetery—that her perfect ever after would be spent with her mother—and that the dean is purposefully trying to fill that hole in Sophie’s life. If Sophie trusts Sader, then Sader will be that much more capable of manipulating Sophie for her own gain. This moment reflects the theme of The Fiction of Traditional Happy Endings, as Sophie’s longing for a maternal figure leaves her vulnerable to false promises. Sader presents an illusion of love and care, but it is ultimately just another form of control.

“Slowly her emerald eyes hardened into suspicious, knife-edged disks. Agatha held her breath, feeling them cut into her soul and hang a noose around her lie, about to pull tight.”

This metaphor compares Sophie’s green eyes to a deadly weapon, something sharp as a knife that can wound Agatha or even kill her. Sophie’s eyes seem lethal and unforgiving, foreshadowing the unforgiving look she later levels at Agatha when Agatha kisses Tedros. This comparison makes it clear that Sophie is still capable of malice and ruthlessness, despite her attempts to be Good. It also ties into The Confluence of Heroism and Villainy, showing that Sophie’s emotional intensity can lead her to dangerous extremes. Her desire for Goodness is at constant war with her capacity for vengeance.

“‘What girls need is the right to know what makes boys worthy of love. What girls need is the right to choose their own endings, not their Dean’s,’ Professor Dovey seethed.”

Dovey is one of a few who sees that Sader’s changes aren’t offering girls greater opportunity than they had before. Sader merely represents a different set of expectations. Before, princesses had to choose princes; now, however, they are prohibited from doing so. Either way, they are restricted from making certain choices, and Dovey argues that this is the real problem. This highlights The Fiction of Traditional Happy Endings, as both old and new systems enforce expectations about what happiness should look like, rather than allowing individuals to define it for themselves.

“‘Told you last year, didn’t I? Good with Good, Evil with Evil,’ her reflected grinned. ‘But you thought you were better than the rules. Now look what you’ve gotten yourself into.’”

When Agatha tries to cross the bridge to the boys’ side, her reflection refers to “the rules” she broke last year. All she did was make a nontraditional choice, electing to kiss Sophie rather than Tedros, saving her friend and relinquishing her prince. Thus, she didn’t break a “rule” per se but, rather, a tradition, a social expectation that everyone else accepted, giving it the appearance of a rule while not actually being one. This moment exposes the way arbitrary rules shape society, reinforcing The Fluidity of Gender by showing how deeply ingrained these expectations are.

“She’d tried so hard to be Good, but that moment of losing Agatha—that unbearably real moment—had made her Evil again. Now she’d ruined a happy ending, like the witch she once was.”

Sophie never develops an accurate understanding of The Confluence of Heroism and Villainy. She thinks that one selfish decision makes her Evil rather than questioning her motives and attempting to better understand her choices so that she can choose Good in the future. Sophie shies away from doing the real work of being Good, of reflecting on herself, because it takes effort. Her black-and-white thinking is part of what keeps her trapped in cycles of destruction, mirroring the flawed way Good and Evil are taught at the school.

“‘She attacked me,’ he whispered, as if finally believing the words were true. ‘He attacked you?’ Hester said to Agatha.”

Soman Chainani creates dramatic irony, heightening tension by revealing the truth to readers while characters believe falsehoods. Aric convinces Tedros that Agatha attacked him while Sophie allows Agatha to believe Tedros attacked her. This creates unnecessary bad feelings that result in the Trial, Sophie’s attempt to retrieve the Storian, and the breakdown of the girls’ relationship. This moment underscores The Fiction of Traditional Happy Endings, as misunderstandings and manipulation keep the characters from achieving the peace they long for.

“We went inside Cinderella story—did you know she just married her prince until he signed his kingdom over to her? Then she had him thrown in the dungeons and ruled herself, pretending their marriage was happy.”

The girls are shocked to learn that boys manipulated traditional fairy tales to make women appear weak and portray men as natural leaders. Kiko alludes Cinderella, a beautiful, kind, and dutiful young woman whose faithfulness is rewarded when her fairy godmother transforms her into a princess for one night. This altered version of Cinderella’s story reveals how narratives can be rewritten to serve power structures, reinforcing The Fiction of Traditional Happy Endings. What is perceived as a “happily-ever-after” is often just another illusion created to maintain control. Sader teaches the students that Cinderella didn’t marry and live happily ever after with her prince but, rather, that she usurps his power and imprisons him. The girls applaud this Cinderella without, apparently, realizing that her behavior is no better than that of the princes who hold women to ludicrous standards and then restrict their choices.

“[Merlin] believed the brief period of playful transformation allowed gnomes to be more sensitive and aware than other creatures. If there was a way for humans to have that experience, even for a moment, you too would be as peace loving as the gnomes.”

Gnomes can change their sex at will until they come of age, and Merlin credits this ability with the gnomes’ peaceful natures. It is likely that the understanding that results from living through the pressures and expectations of both sexes could contribute to increased empathy and unwillingness to fight with, restrict, or belittle members of another sex. This strongly reinforces The Fluidity of Gender, presenting the idea that a deeper understanding of both male and female experiences could lead to a more just and harmonious world.

“‘You might even enjoy being a boy,’ Agatha gibbered on […] ‘Think of it as a costume—think of it as a show.’”

Agatha inadvertently draws attention to the idea that gender is a performance when she tells Sophie to think of her new boy’s body as a costume. If Sophie can realistically pretend to be a boy, passing among other boys as one of their own, then gender must be fluid rather than fixed. Although Sophie dislikes certain aspects of boyhood, she enjoys others, as Agatha predicts, such as increased physical strength and the ability to put other boys in their place, so to speak. This highlights The Fluidity of Gender, as Sophie’s ability to seamlessly integrate into male spaces reinforces the idea that many gender roles are constructed rather than innate.

“Win and we rid ourselves of two Readers who’ve corrupted Good and Evil. Win, and the schools return to tradition.”

Castor, one of the boys’ teachers, explains that a return to tradition is the goal. What goes unspoken is that it is “traditional” for men to rule and women to follow, for men to occupy positions of authority and power while women obey. However, it sounds much nicer to call it “tradition” rather than an unfair system that unethically distributes power based on sex rather than ability or aptitude. This aligns with The Fiction of Traditional Happy Endings, as it reveals how ideas of “tradition” are used to reinforce rigid structures that benefit those in power.

“Why can’t a girl have both? […] Why can’t she have the love of her prince and the love of her best friend?”

Sophie, as Filip, asks Tedros this important question. She wonders why a girl can’t enjoy the love of a friend and the love of a prince, why it must be either one or the other. Tedros suggests that it’s because a person can only be truly loyal to one other, not two, though neither her question nor his response are interrogated deeply by the plot or its characters. This reinforces The Fiction of Traditional Happy Endings, as it suggests that fairy-tale narratives often force characters into narrow relationship dynamics that don’t reflect the complexities of real human bonds.

“Tedros growled and turned away. ‘You make me sound like a girl.’ Agatha smiled to herself. ‘It’s what made me see a boy.’”

It was Tedros’s display of sadness and vulnerability last year that made Agatha fall in love with him. However, as he points out, these are qualities most often associated with girls, so he finds it unbelievable. It’s ironic that his display of stereotypical feminine qualities is what first showed Agatha she could love a boy. This moment speaks to The Fluidity of Gender, as it challenges the idea that vulnerability is inherently feminine. Agatha’s attraction to Tedros in that moment suggests that true strength lies in authenticity, not traditional gender expectation.

“‘Can’t we just hide under the Blue Brook bridge until sunrise?’ Sophie moaned, pillow over her floppy prince hair. ‘That what I’d expect a girl to say,’ Tedros scoffed.”

Sophie wants to avoid fighting and suggests that she and Tedros hide until the Trial is over; she also longs to keep Tedros and Agatha apart so they cannot kill one another. Tedros identifies this cowardly suggestion as something he’d expect from a girl, as though girls are inherently more fainthearted or spineless. This reflects The Fluidity of Gender, as Tedros’s comment reinforces stereotypes about gender roles, despite the fact that Sophie—who has been surviving in the boys’ school undetected—has demonstrated significant bravery.